


everything will be okay

by MorbidSeal



Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/No Comfort for Awhile, Just Tagged Everything I Could Think Of lol, M/M, Manipulation, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Selectively Mute Sunny (OMORI), Self-Harm, Sexual Abuse, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, Yandere Basil, eventual hurt/comfort, just had to get the main ones out of the way, more will come along
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-22
Packaged: 2021-03-26 16:55:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30109104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorbidSeal/pseuds/MorbidSeal
Summary: the same events still happen. sunny pushes mari. mari dies. basil has a solution. the only difference is basil might just be a tad bit obsessed with his best friend sunny, and seizes the opportunity to finally make him his.or.....yandere!basil because he always did seem a little overbearing in the game.
Relationships: Basil/Sunny (OMORI), Kel/Sunny (OMORI), Kel/Sunny Endgame, Past Hero/Mari
Comments: 29
Kudos: 174





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first work I've ever actually published. I haven't written in close to eleven years, so I'm a bit rusty, but I just wanted to finally put something out there. I'm sure there will be some typos here and there. Please heed the tags on this story and warnings. More tags will probably be added as the work goes on. I'm not going to have any sort of posting schedule, I don't think. I will just post whenever inspiration strikes. I have big plans for this story, but we'll see what happens! Thanks for reading in advance! <333

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sunny makes a mistake. basil is there to help his best friend.

Sunny's hands were used for many things. Playing cards with Kel and the others, cooking with Mari, playing violin...but this was new. It was an accident. He swears. He _promises._

He just wanted some reprieve. Mari was a perfectionist. She wanted him to be too. He'd thrown his violin down the stairs in a fit of rage and regretted it immediately. She had come out of their room upon hearing the noise, saw the broken wood at the bottom of the stairs and started yelling at him. Mari _never_ yelled at him.

He moved without thinking, his hands connecting with her front and everything moved too fast and too slow all at once. She lost her footing. _That was his fault._ She went to grip the banister, but her hand missed and then the unmistakable sound of her body tumbling down the stairs. His heart was pounding in his chest. Was it possible for it to break through his sternum? It certainly felt like it. Like he wouldn't be surprised to look down and see a hole in his chest and his heart beating quickly on the floor.

There was a sickening crunch. Was that Mari or his violin splintering more? He wasn't sure. He needed to do something. _Anything._ Why was he just standing there?

He inched closer to the top of the stairs, his shaky hand coming up to grip the banister as though he might tumble down after her. Hesitantly, quietly, he called her name. Nothing. Why wasn't she talking? Why wasn't she saying anything back? It only took a few more seconds before he was clambering down the stairs, falling to his knees next to her.

What was he supposed to do? His trembling hands reached out for her, shook her shoulder. “Mari...wake up,” he ordered weakly, but her body was still. _Why wasn't she breathing?_ What had he done? He rolled her over on her back. Her eyes were wide open, expression contorted in the same shock he saw as she realized he had pushed her and she was going to fall.

He felt _sick._ Panic began seizing every part of his body, rendering him completely still as his mind raced with what he should do now. He leaned down, listening. There was no air. He placed a hand on her chest. It was still. No thudding. Feeling empty.

This was okay. He could fix it. He fought the sinking realization that she was _dead, dead, dead....Mari was dead!_ He looped his arms under her armpits, hoisting her up. She was taller than him and he'd always been quite lanky, but he knew if he could just get her back to her bed, she would be okay. He would climb in next to her like he always did when he had nightmares and they would both wake up tomorrow morning, ready for their recital. She would be petting his hair and she would laugh softly. She would say something like _I kept you safe, little brother. You're okay._ Things would be okay.

He doesn't remember getting her all the way up the stairs, but a cold and clammy sweat had broken out across his skin. Just a few more feet to their room. Just a little longer and Mari would be okay.

He kicked the door open with his heel, dragging her to her bed and with one final usage of his strength, pulled her up into her bed. He gently laid her head on the pillows and pulled the comforter around her. She looked comfortable. She was just sleeping. He could almost fool himself into seeing her chest rising and falling with her soft breathing.

His knees gave out a second later. He gripped her hand under the covers as tears continuously streamed down his cheeks. He didn't understand _why_ he was crying. Mari was okay. Sunny knew it to be true.

As he sank further down, placing his back against her bed and pulling his knees to his chest, his heart ached. He would feel better in the morning when she woke up and smiled at him and they worked out their little fight. They would forgive each other and make breakfast together.

He nearly screamed as hands suddenly gripped his shoulders and he looked up to meet piercing blue eyes, a face looking nearly as scared as he did. “Basil?” he asked, his voice still somehow lacking any of the emotion he was feeling, the same flat affect it always held. “Sunny....you can't leave her there,” he said, eyes darting to Mari's still form on the bed. Panic gripped his heart hard. He'd forgotten about Basil. He was staying over just to be with them tomorrow rather than having to walk. He didn't live too far, but farther than the others. He must have seen _everything._

“I have an idea, Sunny. Don't worry. I'm here to help you,” Basil said, moving a hand up and caressing his cheek. “Do you trust me?” he asked, giving him one of his classic bright smiles. Of course he believed him. He nodded numbly.

“Good...just follow me, Sunny,” he instructed softly, gripping one of his hands and pulling him up. Sunny thinks he's talking, going over some sort of plan. He can't really hear him, but he follows him nonetheless. Cleaning the violin up is first. It's completely shattered and there's blood and long black hair in the strings. He almost breaks down just at the sight, but Basil turns to him, squeezes his hand reassuringly. “I'll take care of it for you, Sunny. No one will ever find it. I promise,” he says, and he almost wonders how the other is so composed, but he doesn't care.

He trusts Basil. He said he was going to help him.

The violin is locked away in his old toy box and Basil pockets the key.

***~***

At some point, a jump rope is placed in his hands and he finds himself outside, standing under one of his favorite trees in the back yard. It's tall and has the perfect spread of branches for climbing. Kel has fallen out of it too many times to count while Aubrey stood just under it and laughed. Hero and Mari, of course, always made sure he was okay. It was how Kel lost his last baby tooth.

He thinks after tonight he is going to _hate_ this tree.

Basil instructs him on what to do. If he was in a better head space, he might think it's weird how he's doing all the work. It takes him several tries to get the rope tied securely around Mari's neck. Her long black hair covers the blood from where her head smashed against the bottom of the stairs.

He finally gets it and Basil finally helps. Even if it's just struggling to hold Mari's body up while he throws the long end of the rope over the tree branch and pulls her up, securing it to another close by branch. _That one, Sunny...it can't be too high or it will be suspicious. It has to look like something she could have reached._ Once she's securely tied, _dangling,_ to the tree, he steps back looking up at his work with horror. This isn't right. “Why can't we just tell everyone what really happened?” he asks, feeling like he should be crying, but it seems somewhere along the way his body ran out of tears.

“Oh, Sunny. You pushed her down the stairs. How do you think the others will feel when they know you _killed_ her? Especially Hero....” Basil trailed off, a frown on his lips. “They were so cute together too...” he seemed to add as an afterthought and the guilt that crashed into him nearly had him winded. Basil was right. They would all hate him. They would never talk to him again. He couldn't lose them. He _couldn't._

“What now?” he turns to his friend, feeling some sort of unease at the way he smiles back at him, head slightly tilted and blonde hair moving with his head. He looks so innocent. He doesn't look nearly as bothered as he did earlier, but he deduces that's because he's in some sort of helping mode. He will probably break down later.

“We're gonna go to bed. You need your rest, Sunny! You've had a pretty rough night,” he says, reaching out and grabbing his hand again and gently tugging to get his feet moving as he pulls him back to the house.

At some point, he's falling into his bed and Basil is crawling in with him, wrapping his arms around his waist and burying his face against his neck. His own arms circle back around his friend. This wasn't the first time they'd ever done this. Despite his rather lackluster disposition, Sunny is very physically affectionate. He cuddles with anyone who wants to cuddle with him, so this isn't weird, but something feels off about it. He doesn't have the brain power to try to figure it out. His thoughts are racing, thinking about Mari, all alone in the backyard and hanging from that tree....What if she's cold?

Fingers carding through his hair pull him out of his thoughts. “I'm right here, Sunny. You can sleep. I'll be sure to protect you through the night, just like Mari did!” Basil promises and he wants to scream. Why is Basil talking about her in the past tense? It hasn't hit him yet.

Despite everything, his eyelids get heavy and with the fingers running so soothingly through his hair, he manages to fall asleep. Things will be okay tomorrow.

***~***

Once Sunny's breathing evens out, the tell tale signs of the boy being asleep, Basil lets his own emotions free. His body trembles and his breathing picks up, but...he's not anxious. He's not even scared. In fact, it feels like there's too much excitement for his body to hold onto. He wants to laugh. He wants to run and dance. Sunny is _his._ This is just the beginning of ensuring that. He always was so trusting of his friends.

His fingers continue to run through soft, black hair. He knows Sunny can't feel it anymore, but Basil doesn't want to stop touching him. He buries his face deeper against his neck, letting out a deep breath as if to expel some of the energy and he just can't stop himself from kissing the skin against his lips before a wide smile spreads across his face. Tonight went better than he could have ever imagined. His camera sits to the side on the nightstand between Mari's and Sunny's bed. He can't _wait_ to develop the photos. He'll put them in a special photo album.

He also knows that Sunny can't hear him, which is a good thing because he's so giddy that he can't keep the pure excitement out of his voice as he promises Sunny one last thing before he falls asleep himself. His voice is quiet in the room that should contain three sets of breathing bodies, but now only has two.

“ _Everything will be okay_.”


	2. you need me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some time has passed and sunny's mother makes a comment. sunny asks basil about it. basil reassures sunny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp....I just couldn't hold off on writing the next chapter. It was just sitting in my head and refused to let me go until I wrote it. I'm trying to keep around the same length per chapter, or making them a little longer! As you might realize in this chapter, a few months have passed! This story will have time jumps in it. I think it would get a bit hard to write four full years of this stuff without doing so. I hope that's okay! Anyways, thanks again in advance for reading this! Comments and such are always appreciated. <333

Six months had passed. He barely remembers them. Time felt like something that happened to him, not something that he was a part of. He didn't have a say in what went on around him. It just happened, whether he wanted it to or not. Sunny thinks that's just how life is. His therapist says that he's frequently dissociating. He's supposed to have grounding techniques, but he often forgets them.

As such, since he has no bearing of time, he doesn't realize just how much time Basil is spending at his house. His mother never seems to mind, so he doesn't mind either. He doesn't leave his house much and no one else comes to visit. Basil says everyone is grieving in their own way. _Don't worry, though, Sunny! I'll always be here for you!_ He's thankful for Basil. There's not a second he has to be alone.

Of course, once things are brought to his attention, his mind starts to piece together that something might be amiss. All it takes is a short conversation with his mother one morning before she's heading out for another two week long business trip.

“Oh, Sunny! I barely recognized you without Basil attached to your hip, dear,” she says, laughing softly and ruffling his hair. It's one of the _very_ rare occasions that Basil has gone out on his own. He wanted to buy some seeds from the hardware store that had just come into season. He told Sunny not to worry about tagging along and he can't say he's let down. He doesn't like leaving the house. People stare and his paranoia makes him think that somehow they _know._

Something else that has happened, is that...he doesn't talk very much anymore. Not like he was exactly something of a wordsmith before. He gives his mother a small shrug. “Seeds,” is the only thing he says as he pulls the orange juice from the fridge and pours himself a glass. “Ah, of course. That boy is pretty obsessed with plants! It's a good thing he has such a green thumb,” she shakes her head as she sips her coffee. “Well, I know he'll be back later. I'm glad that you boys are so close. I know...things haven't been easy for you. You seem to sleep easier with him around and he's such a kind guest, always picking up after himself,” she praises, smiling gently at him.

Uncertainty roils in his gut, but he nods all the same, agreeing with her. Basil is a good friend. He's kept his secret, after all. He comforts him. He helps him on those nights when the nightmares just won't let him go. He's familiar and friendly and...his smile helps...he thinks.

He sits with his mother at the table and quietly sips his orange juice as she does her coffee, the woman flipping idly through the newspaper. Neither of them seem to be in a hurry, but he knows in a few short minutes she will be rushing out the door to catch her train to the next city over. She's gone a lot, even more so after.... _what happened,_ but Sunny knows that she loves him. It's clear in the way that she is so affectionate and warm when she is here. He misses her, but....he thinks about Basil's words. Everyone is grieving in their own way. Mari was their friend, his sister, but...her daughter. _You killed her._

Sunny promptly shakes his head as if to shake that thought free from his head. The guilt is something that he's used to at this point. No one knows. Not even his therapist. She's also operating under the pretense that he'd simply walked outside with his friends that day and found Mari just hanging there, no note and no explanation. He thinks that's why it's not really working. The root cause of the issue is that he's _guilty._ So utterly, unbelievably, Earth-shatteringly guilty. What is there to be done? Basil has made it clear that he can never tell. _Everyone will hate us, Sunny. We'll get in big trouble. Especially you...since you're the one who pushed her. It's okay. You can always talk to me!_ His words echo in his head. Basil is always there to comfort him about it.

“....nny?”

His attention is grabbed and he looks up at his mother, her eyebrows drawn together in concern and he realizes that her hand is against his cheek, soft and warm and affectionate. “You looked pretty out of it, dear. I was just saying that it's time for me to go,” she tells him, moving closer to wrap him in a tight hug, kissing the top of his head a couple times. “I've left some money on the counter for you and Basil to get some groceries. There's a little extra if you two want to order pizza one night, but don't go too crazy with the takeout, okay?” she smiles at him, patting his head like she almost can't get enough motherly touches in before she's shuffling over and putting her shoes on and grabbing her small suitcase and purse.

“I'll call every other night to check on you boys!” she reminds him as she leaves, the door clicking shut behind her and he's _alone._ He hates being alone.

Immediately, the panic seizes him. Darkness closes around the edges of his vision and his breathing speeds up. No. He can't be alone. He goes to push himself up from the table to do....who knows what, when arms are wrapping around him from behind and a chin is resting gently atop his head.

“Sunny! I'm here now, it's okay. I promise,” Basil's voice cuts through the panic and the darkness and he feels fingers moving over the backs of his hands, up his arms, to his shoulders and eventually into his hair, blunt nails scratching lightly at his scalp. It has it's intended purpose of calming him down immediately. Basil is somehow always there at exactly the right times.

The fingers continue in his hair until every last bit of tension drains from his muscles. Once Basil is sure that he isn't going to freak out again, he reaches in front of him and picks up the glass, finishing off his orange juice and there's this...look in his eyes that he's noticed pretty often when they share things like drinks or food or a tube of chapstick, but he pushes the thought to the side.

Once the orange juice is gone, Basil is moving to the sink to wash the glass, setting it in the strainer to dry. “Let's watch a movie today! It's going to rain soon and I know that the rain always makes you pretty sleepy,” he says, grabbing his hand like he always does, interlacing their fingers together and pulling him to the living room. The blonde plops down on the couch and pulls Sunny down with him to where his head is resting in Basil's lap.

He's just beginning to doze off when suddenly he's jolted awake by Basil moving. “Oh, right! Sunny! How could you let me forget to put the movie in?” he asks, shaking his head a little as he gently moves him to sit up so he can get out from under him, moving over to the movie cabinet.

His eyes are looking at him, but the other looking for a movie is so monotonous and uninteresting that he zones out...or maybe he's dissociating again. He isn't sure how much time passes before Basil is pulling back with a case, a victorious, “Got it!” coming from him as he puts the disc into the DVD player. He just wants to take a nap. He always does when they watch movies.

Except, the title screen comes up with familiar music and his heart aches and he feels it speed up. As Basil comes to sit back down, Sunny gives him a confused look. “What's the matter, Sunny? This was Mari's favorite movie. You two were always watching it!” he says, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him back down to rest in his lap. He can't help but to feel like this might be intentional but....Basil wouldn't do that, right? He doesn't do anything to hurt him.

So, he gives in and lays against him, unaware that his body is slightly trembling. “Being without me for a few minutes really got to you today, didn't it? I'll be sure to not take so long again,” he promises, running his hand down his arm and linking their fingers together again. The movie starts and Sunny can't pay attention to it. All he can see is Mari sitting criss-cross on the rug, him sitting against her side as Mari practically recites all the lines and sings along to all the songs. They learned a song together from this movie. It hurts, it hurts, _it hurts._

When he comes to, the movie is over and he notices fingers back in his hair. “You did so well, Sunny! We should watch this together more often,” Basil suggests and Sunny firmly wants to reject the idea, but...Basil seems to always know what will help him. It will feel okay eventually, if Basil is suggesting the idea, he's sure of it. In the end, he gives a shrug that is as good as a yes from him as an actual yes is anymore.

They continue to just sit there for awhile, the title screen music playing on repeat and Sunny gets lost into it, until he remembers the conversation with his mother this morning. “Do we spend too much time together?” he asks before he can really think about it. He doesn't talk much anymore, but when he does it's usually pretty blunt. However, he should have known better than to ask Basil something like this. He's right in that when he looks up and sees Basil looking like he's about to cry.

Regardless, the boy shakes his head, lets out a deep breath and smiles down at him. “Sunny, don't be silly! You aren't used to being alone and I know you get really scared by yourself. Don't forget you're still the baby of the group and need to be protected!” he says, moving to wrap his arms around Sunny's shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug. It's intentional on Basil's part, so that Sunny can't see the absolute look of rage on Basil's face. His hands grip the front of Basil's shirt, a frown on his lips. He supposes that's true. He can't function for even a few minutes on his own.

“Besides....someone has to be here to chase away your nightmares, right?” Basil asks, pushing him back to smile brightly at him, a hand coming up to cup Sunny's cheek, thumb brushing against his cheekbone and without really thinking about it, he leans into it, closing his eyes for a moment. “Yeah...you're right. Sorry,” he apologizes and Basil simply shakes his head before light gripping his cheek and tugging in just as gentle a manner, causing Sunny to scrunch up his face and gently push his hand away.

“Of course I'm right, Sunny. You need me!” Basil says and Sunny thinks it's meant to be teasing, a simple joke, like when Kel would tell Hero that he would be totally lost without him there to kill spiders for him, but strangely...Sunny doesn't think Basil is joking at all.


	3. i'll always understand you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kel knocks on the door and won't take no for an answer when he invites sunny and basil to hang out. everything is fine until it isn't. aubrey says something mean. basil reassures sunny that he'll always be there for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew. This chapter is a bit longer than the others, at about 3600 words and some change. Obviously, some things are different. Like the group hanging out again. It's a little canon divergent, but I needed to add something for Basil to start really acting on that controlling nature. I hope you enjoy! Also, I do want to take a moment to say that I do read all the comments and I want to apologize that I haven't replied to any of them! I'm a fairly shy person, but I appreciate all of the comments and kudos I've gotten so far on this work. I'm not too sure how I feel about this chapter, but like I mentioned, I'm just trying to write something and get it out there. Thanks! <333

It was at the eight month mark that Sunny could no longer hide away in his house. Not even Basil could stop the impending interactions from happening. He was awoken early in the day, around ten in the morning by excited knocking on the door. The sun was peeking through the window in his- _their_ -bedroom, casting light across the hardwood. His eyes cracked open slowly, and he felt a familiar warmth and weight against his chest. 

Basil must have crawled into bed again with him last night. That was okay. Something deep inside him stirred uncomfortably when he saw the other boy wrapped up in the pink comforter that belonged to Mari. The picture was all wrong. He wasn't supposed to be there,  _she_ was. It also didn't help when he would wake up in the middle of the night and see the lump on the bed, the steady rising and falling of breathing and even though it had been literal  _months,_ he felt a burning hope. Until he saw light blonde hair, too short and a body that just didn't seem to fit. It was even worse when he would wake up to find those blue eyes, nearly glowing in the darkness, already staring back at him. They would quickly morph into concern and as unsettling as it was, Basil would get out of Mari's bed and come lay with him instead and he could feel the fingers constricting his heart loosen their grip. 

The knocking at his door continues. Oh right. He should get up and check that. He looked down to see Basil still sleeping, his breathing coming out soft and even. He always had been a heavy sleeper. It wasn't unusual for Mari to have to give either of them a piggy back ride on the way back home after a long day of being out in the forest playing and such. If it so happened that both of them were asleep, Hero was always there to save the day too. 

Slowly, carefully, he wiggled his way out from under Basil, laying him gently back against his pillows and climbing over him. He took a moment to stretch once he was out of bed before quickly making his way from his room and down the stairs. For a moment, he thought about not answering. Just letting Kel knock and knock until he got the memo that no one was going to answer. A different kind of guilt swirled inside him at the thought, though. Hadn't he been avoiding everyone for long enough? It was kind of ironic that he threw his violin down the stairs in the first place because practice was taking up so much of his time away from his friends and he hadn't seen a single one of them since the funeral. 

Part of him felt bitter that they didn't try harder. Was he not worth it?  _Everyone is mourning in their own way, Sunny._ Basil's words echoed in his thoughts when he had brought it up once. He couldn't blame them, especially when it was  _his_ fault that they were mourning in the first place. He owed to them to not get angry or upset with them for things like this. In the end, the reality was that he didn't even deserve them as friends anymore. They would hate him if they knew what he'd done. 

So, without any further contemplation, he shoved his self-loathing thoughts to the side and opened the door, wincing as the bright sunlight hit his face. It was too early. He'd never been an early riser. Not on his own anyways, but if Mari was up, he was pretty much up as well. “Sunny! You actually answered!” Kel greeted him warmly, and it sounded like it should be a friendly taunt, but instead it was genuine shock. Either way, the taller boy smiled widely at him in a way that his cheeks feeling warm. Kel had always been like that. 

It was only seconds later that Kel was stepping inside and wrapping Sunny in a big hug, holding him tightly and letting out a noise that could only be explained as happiness. Hesitantly, he hugged him back, realizing how nice it was to hug someone other than Basil. “Where's Basil? We're meeting Hero and Aubrey at Gino's and you guys can't say no this time,” Kel only pushed him as far away as his arms could reach, but kept his hands firmly on his shoulders and he looked a bit confused at what he meant when he said  _this time._

As far as Sunny was concerned, no one had even tried contacting him since Mari's funeral. He shoved down the uncomfortable feeling he was getting. Maybe he could ask Basil later. 

Speaking of the boy, he appeared at the doorway to the living room, rubbing his eyes. “Kel?” he asked and there was only a split second before a big smile was plastered on his face. Like he was immensely happy to see their friend. Sunny couldn't help but to notice the way his eyes ever so slightly glanced to Kel's hands on his shoulders and he saw.... _something_ in them. Something that he couldn't explain. 

“Basil! You and Sunny need to get dressed and hurry! We're meeting at Gino's and Aubrey made sure to tell me to not let you guys weasel your way out of this one!” he talked just as fast as Sunny remembered, the words flowing with energy that was contagious. After months of barely feeling....anything except for moments of intense panic and crippling numbness, he couldn't help but to think that it was a nice difference. “Now, go. I'll wait down here!” he added, grabbing Sunny's shoulders once more and giving him a gentle shove towards where Basil was standing. 

“That sounds fun. It will do Sunny some good to get out of the house, finally, too!” Basil said, his voice cheery sounding as he took his hand and pulled him towards the stairs. He wanted to tell him that his grip was hurting him, but Basil was just like that sometimes. Sunny doesn't think he's doing it on purpose and it doesn't hurt _that_ bad. “Aren't you excited, Sunny? Everyone wants to hang out with us again!” he asked as they got to the bedroom and that was something else that struck him as off. Kel made it sound like they had been declining invites. This wasn't doing very much for his paranoia. 

Still, he  _ was  _ excited. He took the clothes that Basil handed him without comment, already beginning to strip down and change. Basil told him early on that it wasn't weird because they were both boys anyways and it was quicker to just get changed in the room than walk to the bathroom just to put on a different pair of clothes. He didn't question it very much. He didn't question almost anything Basil did, really. 

Even though his back was turned, he still felt like he was being watched, but by time he was fully dressed and turning around, Basil was dressed himself and working on making the bed. He must be imagining things again. He didn't have time to dwell on it as Basil was grabbing his hand again and pulling him back down the stairs to meet Kel, who had moved to lounge on the couch. He got up once they entered, stretching his limbs that seemed to be getting longer a bit awkwardly.

“Hey! Ready? Aubrey and Hero went on ahead and I was knocking for so long they're probably already there,” he teased, coming between the two of them, draping an arm over each of their shoulders, careful not to break their conjoined hands. He noticed him looking down at it before looking back up like it wasn't anything new or out of place. 

Sunny gave a nod, feeling a little anxious about going back out into public, but the idea of seeing his friends again was outweighing it. Still...he gave Basil's hand a small squeeze and felt one almost immediately in return, looking over to see his friend giving him an encouraging smile. He felt bad for any doubtful thoughts he might have had. Basil was only ever just looking out for him. He knew that. 

“Of course! Ah, it's been way too long,” Basil said, prompting Kel to give him a bit of a funny look, like he was questioning something. “Well, you always said--” “We should get going! Before Aubrey orders a pizza and puts something gross on top!” Basil interjected whatever Kel was going to say, moving out from under his arm and pulling Sunny along and out the front door. Maybe it should be more suspicious that Basil pulled out a key to the front door and locked it behind them all, but...he stayed over a lot. His mother probably gave him the key in case Sunny was having one of his days where he just couldn't get out of bed. 

Kel almost looked like he wanted to say something, but Sunny just watched as he shook his head and followed along, joining him on his left so that Sunny was between Basil and him. “Just a heads up. Aubrey actually finally dyed her hair pink. It doesn't look bad, but of course I have to keep up the act that pink is a gross color! Don't tell her,” he said, looking at Sunny and smirking, holding a finger up to his lips to signal that it was a secret. 

“She always did want to do that with Mari! I bet she looks really cute,” Basil said, no stranger to doling out compliments to his friends, even if he couldn't see them. He was happily swinging their hands between them, which must be a sight since Sunny knew that he probably looked like he couldn't care less about what was going on around him. Which he supposed wasn't a total lie. Even if right now he was getting a bit overwhelmed by being outside again. It was so bright and some things had changed, but not enough to where he could really be sure of that. It might just be another instance of his mind jumbling up what he remembered. 

As such, he couldn't really say that he was hearing whatever it was that Basil and Kel were talking about. He felt himself nodding or shaking his head at random intervals, but if he was asked to repeat what the conversation was about, he would be totally lost. He caught words here and there, but not enough to really piece anything together. 

“What about you, Sunny?” Kel asked and Sunny looked up at him, tilting his head a little bit, eyebrows drawing together in confusion. 

Kel seemed to notice, but he just reexplained. “We were making plans to go to the beach soon. Here in a few weeks since Summer vacation is coming up,” he told him, though...there was an apprehensiveness to him that was rare. He was about to nod. Of course he'd love to spend more time  with his friends, but Basil was once again interjecting as they approached Gino's. Sunny was more preoccupied with the fact that somehow Summer vacation was already upon them. Homeschooling probably wasn't helping his issues with time perception.

“Oh, look! I can see Hero and Aubrey sitting at the table by the window! That always was our favorite spot to sit!” his tone was enthusiastic, as he was once again dragging Sunny with him, leaving Kel to catch up with them. Once inside, he was leading him over to the booth, gently pushing him into the seat so that Sunny was against the window and Basil was left between him and Kel now. 

“Finally! We're starving,” Aubrey said, rolling her eyes and huffing. She looked annoyed and she barely spared a glance in his direction. Something about that hurt. He had to wonder if Kel was lying earlier when he said that Aubrey was the one who wanted him to make sure that he and Basil actually came to this get together. “It's okay, Aubrey. We can order now,” Hero soothed, giving Sunny and Basil a kind smile. It was comforting, something that Sunny didn't even realize he missed so much. He mustered a small one of his own back, which seemed to just make Hero relax, his own smile widening just a tad before he was looking at his menu as if he didn't already know what he was about to order. 

His eyes then turned to Aubrey, who he also noticed was wearing contacts, the artificial blue rivaling Basil's own eyes. She was looking at him out of the corner of her eyes as if expecting something. Was she always like this? She seemed so closed off. “Pink. I like it,” a few short, simple words, quiet and almost lost over the natural sounds of the restaurant. They all turned to him and stared which made him instinctively shrink in on himself a little bit. Was he not supposed to talk? 

Soon enough, they were moving on, but Aubrey had a light blush on her cheeks. “....Thanks,” she said, glancing off to the side again. It was then that his hand was squeezed in a  _ crushing  _ grip under the table, causing him to suck in a sharp breath. “Are you okay, Sunny? Don't worry! We're all here,” Basil consoled him, his grip on his hand loosening, speaking like he wasn't the one that had just caused that reaction, a smile on his face. They all gave him concerned looks...even Aubrey, try as she might to mask it under something tougher. 

Slowly, he nodded and used his free hand to grab a menu. It had been awhile since he'd actually been inside Gino's. There was a surprising lack of blatant staring from the other inhabitants like he had always anticipated and it allowed him to relax a little bit. Conversation settled over them easily after that and he found it a little easier to stay present. His nonverbal responses were more genuine this time as he knew what they were talking about in the first place. Mainly starting with the mishap that was dying Aubrey's hair a few months ago and how Hero had been the one to help her and pink dye had gotten everywhere and she had nearly burned her hair off with bleach. He couldn't help the ache in his chest. He wished he could have been there. 

“You should have seen her face when a clump of her hair just fell out! It was priceless!” Kel laughed, only to let out a pained noise as Aubrey kicked his shin under the table, glaring at him. “Hey! You didn't have to kick me _that_ hard!” Kel said and immediately the arguing began, prompting Hero to sigh, but just like always he didn't look actually annoyed by it. 

“Guys, can we calm down? You're causing a scene,” Hero pleaded with the other two, which worked just as well as he always remembered, the concerned parties both crossing their arms and looking off to the side. That only lasted a few seconds on it's own as well. Even though they bickered incessantly and things had undoubtedly changed, it didn't seem like they could actually be mad at each other for too long. 

“....Sorry,” Kel said a few moments later, though he obviously couldn't refrain from sticking his tongue out, which had Aubrey reciprocating with a pretty bold middle finger gesture to which Kel just laughed at. Sunny didn't remember his friend being that vulgar before, but both Hero and Kel acted like it was commonplace now. How much had he missed? 

It wasn't long after that that their orders were being taken and more conversation unfolded between them all. He still didn't do much actual talking, but definitely more than he had in the past months. At some point, Basil's hand had let go of his own, only to rest firmly on his thigh, gripping slightly at all times. It made him a little uncomfortable, but surely his friend didn't mean anything by it. It was just another affectionate touch. Their food was brought out after awhile and...he realized that he hadn't even ordered for himself. Basil had. That made sense, he supposed. He couldn't do a lot of things for himself, even before Mari's death. 

All in all, they were only probably hanging out for about an hour and a half before they were paying and walking from the restaurant. “Hey, we were going to go to the park for a bit. Are you guys coming?” Hero asked, looking hopeful at the two of them. He was about to nod before his hand was being squeezed again in that grip that had him nearly gasping, except this time, he kept the pain to himself. 

Though, before Basil could make up some excuse, Aubrey was scoffing, obviously having seen the blonde boy about to do so, looking annoyed. “Of course they aren't. They have to get back to playing boyfriends,” she said and her tone was all wrong...mean. She even shoulder checked him as she walked past. Panic once again rose in him. Why was she so angry at him? What had he done wrong? Was it the not hanging out for the past eight months? Was she really  _ that  _ upset with him? 

“Aubrey...” Hero began, a frown on his lips, but the girl simply shrugged at him, effectively cutting him off. “It's whatever. See you in another eight months, Sunny,” she didn't even look back at them as she threw a dismissive wave over her shoulder, continuing to walk in the direction of the park, whether Kel or Hero were following or not. 

“Sorry about that, Sunny. She's just having a really rough time with...everything,” Hero said as Kel ran off after her, presumably to tell her how _not cool_ that was, but he wasn't really hearing anything. He'd done something wrong. He'd upset them. They didn't even know the truth yet and they were already beginning to hate him. A hand on his shoulder was pulling him from his panic, only momentarily. 

“It was nice seeing you today, both of you,” Hero said, giving that smile again, although a little strained this time. Sunny notices his brief hesitation before he was pulling both of them into a hug. “We'll see you guys soon, yeah?” he asked, already backing away before turning and heading in the direction of the other two before they got into a legitimate fight. Hero always was a true big brother. To all of them. 

Basil promptly took over, pulling him back home. He didn't remember the entire walk back. 

***~***

The moment they were through the front door, Sunny broke down into tears. All he could think about was how he had upset Aubrey. He really was a terrible friend. First, killing Mari and then not even having the decency to hang out with them? He didn't blame her. The whole comment about him and Basil being boyfriends was left in the recesses of his mind. He didn't have the brain power to parse that at the moment. 

“Shhh, it's okay, Sunny!” Basil tried to comfort him, pulling him up the stairs and getting both of them into his bed. He was laying to where Sunny's head was resting against his chest and Basil could lay his chin against his hair, rubbing his hands soothingly up and down his back. “I'm sure Aubrey didn't mean to hurt your feelings, but still.....” he chewed at his lip, though Sunny was totally unaware that it was to keep the grin off his lips. Aubrey was also unaware that she was just going to make this easy for him. 

“Friends should be more understanding. Aubrey has changed a lot in eight months. I can't help but to feel like maybe she did mean to be rude to you,” Basil sighed, pulling Sunny tighter. With Sunny's paranoia, he knew the seed was already planted and now all Basil needed to do was water it. “You know, when it all first happened and you isolated yourself, she said that you were acting cowardly, avoiding everyone,” it was easy to lie. It wasn't like Sunny was ever going to bring it up. He didn't like confrontation, so Basil could be positive that this would slip right by and take root even further in the other's head. 

He moved a hand up to run through Sunny's hair like he knew he liked, smiling softly to himself when he felt him relaxing under his touch. That was always such a nice feeling, that he had the power to do so. “I really hate to talk bad about any of our friends, but...I think you should stay away from her. I don't want to see her hurt you again,” he framed it as concern, which happened to turn genuine when Sunny cried harder against him. Losing his friends was one of his greatest fears, Basil knew that. It had been the main worry the night that Mari died. “It's okay, though, Sunny! You'll always have me. I'll always understand you, promise,” he said, and he couldn't help the tension in his muscles, hoping he hadn't pushed too far too soon. 

Just like the night that Mari died, when he felt a small nod against his neck, Sunny's arms wrapping around him and pulling him in tighter, it was almost impossible for him to contain his pure excitement. He managed though, even if he did indulge a bit with a kiss to Sunny's forehead, glad that he could look over his head and at the wall, the victorious smile on his lips sure to give him away otherwise.


	4. i just wanted to help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sunny's day starts off good, until he notices that something is off about the room. basil is there to pick up the pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a few days since I've updated! Life got a bit hectic and busy there for a moment and I've just been too tired to update. Sorry about that! I know that this chapter might also be kind of boring, but it's just another step towards Basil getting him wrapped around his finger. Thank you for all the comments and kudos and I hope you guys enjoy this! <333

Sunny didn’t have many totally lucid moments anymore. A lot of his time was spent drifting, his consciousness separating itself from his body and further trying to separate itself from his guilt ridden thoughts. So, when he had small moments of clarity, he couldn’t help but to wonder how long something had been that way. It always distressed him and he would much rather be in that space where he didn’t have to think much, but he supposed that sometimes he needed to come out of his own mind. 

  
  


Today was one of those days. He’d had a particularly restful sleep, even if Basil was pressed firmly against him and making him sweat from overheating a little. He still woke slowly, trying to gather his bearings, but once that was done, he was gently moving out from under Basil’s arm, not trying to wake him. He liked the little moments before the other was awake that he could just have to himself. It felt like he could breathe for a second. Not that he minded being around his flowery friend all the time. He hated being alone more than anything, but...he just felt overwhelmed sometimes. 

  
  


He grabbed clothes for the day and made his way to the bathroom. It was rare these days that he even got to shower by himself. After a pretty bad panic attack where he had clawed at his arms, Basil was pretty adamant about sitting with him while he showered, but he wasn’t feeling that awful today, so he thought it should be okay. He grabbed a towel and washcloth out from under the sink and placed it on the sink, pointedly avoiding the mirror. He didn’t like to see himself and it wasn’t like it mattered what he looked like. He never went anywhere anymore. 

  
  


Thankfully, as he turned on the shower, steam soon filled the room and fogged up the glass so that he didn’t have to try as hard to avoid his own reflection. He could breathe easier without the potential of glancing over and seeing the mirror just showing him how tired and guilty he looked. At least...he always thought he looked guilty. Others must not think so though because his mother never mentioned it and the last time he’d hung out with everyone, there was no mention of it either. How long ago was that now? He knew at some point the one year mark passed because his mother had been home and she had been a mess and he just so happened to look at the calendar. 

  
  


Sticking his hand under the shower spray, he determines that it’s the perfect conditioner and he gets in. He goes about his routine, but at some point he notices that his shampoo and body wash is gone. He supposes that makes sense, but in its place is what Basil uses. It’s an interesting mixture of mint and honeysuckle. He’s come to recognize the scent well with the way the other boy seems to always be so close to him, especially when he wakes up in the mornings with his face buried in his blonde hair. Either way, he puts some of the shampoo into his hands and lathers it into his hair. 

  
  


He does drift just a little as he showers, but his mind thankfully stays out of any super heavy territory. He’s taken to daydreaming quite often. Imagining his life when it was better, when his friends were close and he hung out with them several days of the weak. He imagined what things would be like if he hadn’t pushed Mari. If they hadn’t had that fight in the first place. Some days he couldn’t help but to notice that the house was so painfully quiet, even with Basil’s constant need to talk and check in on him and try to engage him in conversation. 

  
  


He misses the days when he would wake up to Mari already being in the piano room, the beautiful music seeming to fill up the house. When he would hurriedly get dressed and go down and join her. Whether that day it was sitting on the bench with her and playing one side of the piano or working together on a song with him playing his violin. His mother would come in at some point, a bright smile on her face and ruffle both of their hair and tell them that they needed to take a break to eat something and they would both realize how hungry they actually were. 

  
  


At some point he must have put some body wash in the rag and was washing his body when he quickly shut the door on those thoughts. He’d gotten good at compartmentalizing things. Not necessarily in a good way, though. He had rooms for nearly everything, but the doors were almost always shut and any time he started thinking about Mari in depth, or his friends, he slammed the door closed and locked them away. It was pointless to think about those things now. Mari was dead and he was sure his friends hated him, if the interaction with Aubrey the last time they hung out was anything to go by. No one had even tried to reach out to him in that time. He was accepting that they just didn’t want him around anymore. 

  
  


Once his body was rinsed from the soap, his hand was clambering to turn off the water and he stepped out, grabbing the towel and beginning to dry himself. His chest ached, but he was determined to keep away the darkness. He knew that he didn’t deserve any sort of a good day, but he tried to cling to these moments where he was  _ aware.  _ It wasn’t fun feeling like a ghost in his own body, being directed through his life without his permission. Maybe he could pick up a book and read some of it today. He didn’t want to think about how he actively avoided watching movies. Basil seemed to always pick the ones that hurt the most...or maybe he was just overreacting. They were all the ones they used to watch with Mari and the others and he feels like they should hold good memories. They probably do for Basil and he’s sure that’s why he picks them. 

  
  


Once he’s dry, barring his hair being a little damp, he throws the towel into the hamper and gets dressed. Something comfortable. A pair of joggers that cinch at the ankles and an oversized hoodie that he recognizes as one that Hero left here what must have been over a year ago. It shouldn’t be, but...as he pulls it on, it’s strangely comforting. He doesn’t know about now, but he knows that before everything, the boy wouldn’t mind. In fact, he can see him now, patting his head and telling him that he can return it whenever he wants. 

  
  


Before he can spend any more time lamenting over his friends, he leaves the bathroom, heading back down to his room. When he enters, Basil is awake and tidying up the area. He’s surprised that he didn’t seek him out. The boy turns to him and gives him a big, bright smile, crossing over and wrapping his arms around him and kissing his cheek. The added affection has been something that’s been happening for a while, he thinks. He isn’t sure when it started happening, but he doesn’t stop it from happening either. 

  
  


“Sunny! I was a little worried when I woke up and you were gone, but then I heard the shower. I was going to get up, but I ended up falling back asleep,” he looks a bit sheepish as he says this, but Sunny can’t help but to not mind that he slept in. He cherished the small amount of time alone he got. Basil’s hand slides down his arm a little bit and he feels him gripping his forearm a bit tightly. He gave him a confused look when he realized that he was looking at the hoodie. He seemed to realize what he was doing and loosened his grip, smoothing it over the fabric. 

  
  


“I haven’t seen this hoodie in forever! I guess Hero doesn’t miss it very much,” Basil said, taking a step back from him as he goes about gathering some clothes for himself. “I’m going to take a shower, too. Don’t worry, though! I’ll be quick,” he tells him, his cheery disposition taking over like it never even left in the first place. With that, he’s gone to the bathroom, and Sunny finds himself treated to even more alone time. Though, he doesn’t panic because he knows that Basil is just in the bathroom. 

  
  


He remembers that he wanted to try reading a book today, so he crosses over to his  ~~ and Mari’s ~~ bookshelf and looks at them. He’s read all his books, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still find comfort in them. As he looks, he feels his stomach sink. There’s something  _ wrong.  _ It takes him way too long to figure out what it is. 

  
  


All of Mari’s books are gone. 

  
  


There are no empty spaces though. They’re all filled with books and he starts to realize that they must be Basil’s. When had he done this? He would have noticed him carrying out a bunch of books, right? Except...he wouldn’t. He barely notices when the sun rises and sets anymore. Panic begins to spread through, but it’s for a different reason this time.  _ Where is Mari’s stuff?  _ Maybe they’re behind the other books. 

  
  


It’s over the moment he touches the first book on the top shelf. In seconds, he’s got all the books on the floor, scattered across the hardwood. His body is shaking and it just gets worse the more he realizes that Mari’s books aren’t here. Where are  _ they, where are they, where are they! _ He moves from the bookshelf to the desk, ripping the drawers open and emptying their contents too. 

  
  


The beds are next, Basil’s work of making them this morning is ruined as he rips everything off of them and throws them into the floor with the books and the various office supplies. Once the beds are bare, he sinks to the floor and pulls at his hair, shaking his head. Nothing is the same. He notices that everything that Mari’s, save her bed sheets and comforter are all gone. Replaced with plants and paper that Basil uses. Books that Basil reads.  _ He’s so angry.  _ Who told him he could touch any of  _ Mari’s _ things?! 

  
  


That’s how Basil finds him. Hyperventilating on the floor, tears streaming down his face and the room an absolute mess. In seconds the boy is kneeling in front of him, placing his hands on his shoulders and Sunny violently jerks away. It’s too much like  _ that night _ . With his back pressed against Mari’s bed and all he can think is  _ I killed her, I killed her,  _ _~~I killed her~~.  _ It feels like the darkness is creeping back in again, heavy tendrils that rip away any good thoughts and shove the guilt and bad ones right in. 

  
  


“Sunny! You have to calm down,” Basil’s voice is frantic as he makes the move of grabbing his wrist and yanking him forward against him, wrapping his arms around him tightly and shoving his face into his neck. “M-Mari’s stuff…” his voice is broken and a sob comes out of him, pathetic and jarring his whole body. Why is he like this? Why does Basil stick around and put up with him? He doesn’t think he’ll ever understand it. He’s such a mess, he doesn’t talk a lot, he’s always drifting...What is there to stick around for? 

  
  


“Oh, Sunny...I just moved it to the piano room. Your mom thought it might be a good idea to clear out some of the stuff so that you weren’t always thinking about it,” Basil explains, petting through his hair to calm him. It works, just like it does every time. Sunny goes slack against him, his chin resting on his shoulder as he stares at the mess he created. “You could have just asked me,” he says and his voice is soft, but Sunny understands the implication.  _ You overreacted again.  _

  
  


Basil continues to hold him, gently rocking them back and forth as his fingers move through his hair, nails lightly scraping against his scalp in a comforting way. At some point, Sunny’s arms circled back around him and all of his previous anger at the boy was gone. Basil didn’t deserve his anger, he...just wished that he would have been asked first. Although, he supposes that was out of the question because he couldn’t think rationally when it came to any of Mari’s things. He would hoard them forever, given the option. 

  
  


“S-Sorry…” he apologizes after a bit and Basil shakes his head before resting his cheek on top of his hair, letting out a small sigh.

  
  


“It’s okay, Sunny! I just wanted to do something to help you. Her stuff is always in the piano room if you want to see it,” he reassures, but it goes unspoken between them. Sunny hasn’t stepped foot into the piano room since that night. He  _ can’t.  _ He doesn’t argue that point, though. He’s already caused enough trouble for today. 

  
  


He isn’t sure how long passes that they’re sitting there, but at some point, Basil moves to get up and Sunny realizes that this time, he’s clinging to him. He misses the absolutely ecstatic look in Basil’s eyes as he uses his hands to cup his face and places a kiss on his forehead. “I’m just going to clean the room, Sunny. You can sit there and calm down some more. I’ll talk to you while I work!” he promises and with that, he’s starting on making the beds again and Sunny does just that. He sits there and vaguely hears the words that Basil says as he talks his ear off. 

  
  


Soon enough, the room is back looking tidy, but he still feels empty. Basil grabs his hands and pulls him up from the floor, giving him another reassuring smile. “See! All done. Let’s go make breakfast,” he says, and he doesn’t fight him as he pulls him out of the room and down the stairs, but there’s a dread building in him that he can’t quite place. Oh well. Maybe he’s just hungry and worn out from his panic attack.


End file.
